30/06/2020

Archive

Very, very sad penguin picture…

The sad story behind this devastating photograph of a little penguin . This photograph is a shortlisted image in this years Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition. Little penguins are routinely victims of dog attacks and can become the victims of Victoria’s duck hunting season, which kicks off in March each year. “A couple of weeks ago, I was shocked to see a hunter hidden behind saltbush at the foreshore, and more shocked to be told that it...

Lockdown and lack of outdoors…

What outdoor space tells us about inequality, reports bbc Whether it’s a small balcony, a home garden, or access to a park, outdoor space has long been a luxury for many – not a given. And the pandemic’s made it even worse. “I don’t have anywhere to go, except outside into the pandemic – which feels extremely scary,” says Kgama.  Studies have long shown that access to green or open space is often linked to income, particularly in cities. Covid-19 has placed...

Culling one creature to save another?

There’s a very fine balancing act to be had…. culling – killing using humane methods – one species, to ensure the survival of another Large mice are devastating rare birds on a tiny island, now moves are afoot to exterminate the rodents. But should conservation ever be about killing? Patrick Barkham explains Gough Island is about as remote a fragment of land as it is possible to find on a map. Its 91 square kilometres of uninhabited volcanic rock rise...

Animals benefit from lockdown

Roadkill rates fall dramatically as lockdown keeps drivers at home, reports National Geographic As Americans stayed home in March and April, vehicle deaths declined up to 58 percent among large species like mountain lions, a new report says. During the peak of the lockdowns in March and April, traffic on U.S. roads fell by as much as 73 percent. During that same period, fatal collisions with deer, elk, moose, bears, mountain lions, and other large wild animals fell by as...

Nature writing celebrated

Winners of youth nature writing competition announced, reports BBC Wildlife magazine From 220 entries, three winners have been revealed from the Nature on your Doorstep writing competition: Danielle Amouzou-Akue (14) from Essex, Anna Stone (10) from Norfolk and Benji Janes (6) from Sussex. All three winning stories will be published in an upcoming issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine.  “Stories are at the core of everything we do on BBC Wildlife Magazine, so we were thrilled to be able to support this competition and offer the next...

Pollinators in peril!

Pollinators do ‘so much ‘ for humans – they enable us to have flowers, honey, fruit, our morning coffee! Yet, we are often totally unaware of these mini-industries of the Natural World. What are ‘pollinators’? Why are they so important? Arguably there’s no better time to ask …. when it’s National Insect Week in the UK, and Pollinators Week in North America. The Pollinator Partnership explains Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible...

UK nature needs help!

United Kingdom top environmental groups say that a ‘National nature service’ is needed to help spur recovery of local wildlife and habitats, reports the Guardian newspaper. The coalition has drawn up a list of 330 projects that are ready to go, including flower meadows, “tiny forests” in cities and hillside schemes to cut flooding. It said a service to fund the projects and train workers would create 10,000 jobs and be part of a green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic....

World giraffe day!

he lion might be ‘king of the ‘jungle’ , but its the giraffe that has the greatest vision ( pun intended) ….. yes, everyone, it’s World Giraffe Day Giraffes are a unique creature…. The tallest mammal on the planet ; only found in Africa ; endangered or locally extinct in many African countries due to massive habitat loss ; able to Sleep standing up ; has a kick like no other m something which lions sometimes surcome to. More information...

Insect week is here!

This year the organisers are fully aware of our restrictions and are asking all of us to think about the ‘little things that run the world’ and do things and add online using the hashtags #EntoAtHome #NIW2020. Ideas for activities include take a photograph and enter the NIW competition here , or download the garden entomology booklet with ID images and facts about all the mini beasts! You can check out the many, many activities suggestions for primary, secondary, adults, everyone including poetry...

Greta Thunberg still has hope

Thunberg has hope for climate, despite leaders’ inaction, according to the Star Tribune Preparing for her appearance before the U.N. General Assembly last fall, Greta Thunberg found herself constantly interrupted by world leaders, including U.N. chief Antonio Guterres and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had formed a queue to speak to her and take selfies. “Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, waits in line but doesn’t quite make it before it’s time for the event to start,” Thunberg...

Wonderful ‘WildAndLIVE’ conversations

In these strange ‘coronavirus times’ , it’s great to come across fantastic resources. So here’s is a great wildlife person with an amazing online show…. “Welcome to #WildAndLIVE with me your host Patrick Aryee ‘WildAndLIVE’ is a new series of online conversations & live lessons that looks into the biology of the coolest creatures on our planet, and introduces you to some of the awesome people that get to work with them. Patrick has been interviewing lots of people who...

Check out a Solar eclipse, safely

    This weekend, stargazers in the Eastern Hemisphere will be treated to an annular solar eclipse on the heels of the summer solstice. This type of eclipse is characterized by its stunning “ring of fire” since it’s not a total eclipse and edges of the sun can still be seen around the moon. ( source CNN ) Where to see it The annular eclipse will begin at 12:47 a.m. ET (4:47 UTC) on June 21 and cross a skinny...

World albatross day

The albatross is a truly awesome sight to be behold… but its also a creature in trouble ! Albatrosses are large seabirds in the family Diomedeidae. They are related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific. They are absent from the North Atlantic, although fossil remains show they once occurred there and occasional vagrants are found. Albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and species of the genus Diomedea (great albatrosses) have the longest wingspans of any extant birds, reaching up to 3.7 m (12 ft). The albatrosses are usually...

Forest sounds mapped

Help to create the first ever forest ‘soundmap’ of the world. Timber Festival — a three day festival celebrating people’s connection to trees and woodlands through music, art, and ideas — has launched Sounds of the Forest, an ambitious project that aims to connect people with trees and one another by gathering sounds of woodlands and forests from across the world. Normally, people would be gathering at Timber Festival in the National Forest, but this year of course, due to coronavirus, the festival...

Crocodiles

World Crocodile Day: Experts call for patience regarding human-croc conflict At Australia Zoo they are all about caring for and conservation and raising awareness, for the saltwater crocodiles. Founder Steve Irwin, who used to live in a house , now his family run the Zoo, would be very proud. Down To Earth (DTE) spoke to crocodilian experts in four human-crocodile conflict hotspots in India: Vadodara in Gujarat, Kota in Rajasthan, Bhitarkanika in Odisha and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Vadodara, the third-largest...